The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1887-11-22
THE SAMOAN MISSION !!
Return of the Embas-
sador.
An Interview With the Hon.
J. f. Bush.

The steamship Alameda brought home
Hon. j. Z. Bush, Envoy Extraordinary and
Minister Plenipotentiary of His Majesty to
the Kingdom of Samoa. His wife and child
accompanied him, all arrivingin good health
and spirits. Last evening a GAZETTE repre-
sentative called on the returned ambassador
at his residence, where he was resting, after
his voyage, in an easy chair, with his family
and friends about him. After an exchange
of greetings, Mr.. Bush freely entered into
conversation on Samoan affairs, himself sug-
costing the production of notebook for the
recording of the information he was ready to
convey.
Affairs were all quiet when you left, Mr..
Bush, remarked the interlocutor, on the
strength of Information gained from another
returned sojoUrner in Samoa.
"Oh, yes, was the reply, TO which was
added, The impression in Samoa is that
King Malietoa has been sent on to Germany,
as he was transferred from the Albatross TO
the Adler, which perhaps You know
Had the American ship Adams arrived ~
Yes; the Adams was there two weeks
before we left, having made the voyage from
Honolulu in fourteen or fifteen days.
The German fleet of four vessels was still
there. The Commodore was very anxious to
get away. When the Adler returns he will
go away, leaving her and another vessel to
police the group"
"dow did the Germans treat you ~
The Germans were very bitter against
me. They claimed that l had caused the
change of sentiment of the English Govern
ment in the adjudication of affairs in Sa-
moa, also of the American Government in
the same regard.
SAT first they considered that the Ha-
waiian Mission was only trifing affair, but
when that treaty of confederation was
passed, they found ont there was something
to it. After the Washington Convention
met they saw that there was change of
American and English sentiment. The first
indication that their dominance was i'm
periled was the treaty, the next was gained
from the preliminary meeting of the Wash
ington Convention.
Zone of the causes that produced a Change
IN England was the Colonial influence.
had communications indirectly with Sir
Robert Stout of New Zealand, who thought
the alliance with Hawaii was a good idea for
the settlement Of the question. Some time
before the Colonial Agents General of the
Colonies went TO England they pressed
the Importance of the independence of
Samoa. In England Sir Henry Holland
urged tie matter upon the Home Govern
meut.
''Short.y after Mr.. Sewell, the United States
Consul, who missed landing ut Samoa, ar
rived at Sydney he received a telegram nom
Secretary Bayard stating that Lord Sails.
bury had telegraphed him that the English
Government would join the American Gov
eminent IN preserving the independence of
Samoa.
when the Germans saw the sentiment of
the Convention in Washington they caused
an adjournment and then hurried their
South Pacific squadron up to Samoa to pre-
cipitate matters. They calculated on doing
the work in about week, but instead of that
IL took them nearly three months, and the
Commodore is dissatisfied, believing that he
has been misinformed and misled''
How do the Samoans take it all now?n
''Now the man that has been set up and
proclaimed to be King has had falling out
with his own people, so that to-day he stands
alone and is supported by German bayonets;
and It is very likely that when the fest goes
away the people will destroy him.
"Iamasese's Legislature had row with
him two days before left, and broke up and
went to their homes crying for Malietoa. A
few days afterward there was to have been a
gathering of taxes all over the group which
had partly been collected but partly refused.
The disposition of the natives is to unite
in favor of Mataafa during Malietoa's
absence. He is now King over part Of the
group, according to the system prevailing
there, being chief of very high rank. If
Malietoa returns and says it is all right that
Mataafa should remain King he will, but
otherwise Malietoa will resume the throne
and Mataafa become Vice King"
They are sort of free and easy ABOUT
kings. We have heard that you were very
popular there yourself"
The natives did not want me to come
away. They were very friendly to me, parti-
cularly when they found that all my advice
had come true"
You stood by Malietoa to the last, be-
lieYe p
Yes; as long as it was any use. Malietoa
stayed six weeks in the woods, where he had
enough food to supply his followers for over
two years-br=aG-fruit, wild bananas, wild
hogs, etc. lite only trouble was that it was
a little cold; still they could build grass
houses to shelter themselves. Their chief
object in taking to the mountain forests was
TO demonstrate to civilian Germans their
strength and resources against serious
trouble"
Were you in the woods with MalIetoa 2"
No; | stayed quietly at home"
Was any attempt made to modest YOU ~
Well, they tried hard to implicate me as
an active opponent OF their schemes. The
worst man was the resident German doctor,
who kept watch on my house. Owing to
sore eyes troubling my child the window
shutters were closed, and they could hardly
believe that did not 90 out at night. They
were very bitter, wanting to deport me. It
was thought was trying to prevent Malie-
toa's arrest.
Il was communicating with Malietoa all
the time, but it had to be done verbally by
private system that We had. 1 advised them
for one thing TO preserve peace. This was
what the Germans did not want, being in
need of a pretext for taking possession.
Four or five hundred German soldiers
went into the woods, but could not penetrate
any distance into the Jungle. Once they
were right under Malietoa's party, where
they could have all been shot-eYery mothers
son of them-bUt Malietoa restrained them.
The chiefs were boiling fierce.
- The Germans hoped TO convince tine
Washington Convention that Tamase Sc was
confirmed on the throne. and that of course
meant the Derpetuation of their influence"
In answer to q question Sir. Bush repeated
what was previously published, that the
British war ship Opal was waiting at Tonga
for the German fleet, so that at the first sign
of the latter she would hoist the British flag.
This was the opinion, at all events, in
Samoa.
Two days before We left he proceeded,
"a French man-of-war was at TutuiIa and
vas expected to 90 to Apia, but did not
see her anywhere. There was a very high
feeling In Tahiti over the Samoan incident.
l suppose you have heard of the Germans